Tomorrow is World Water Day!

Tomorrow (Saturday 22 March) is World Water Day, and the theme for this year is "Glacier Preservation".

On the UN World Water Day website, they highlighted the importance of glacier preservation: "Glaciers are melting faster than ever. As the planet gets hotter, our frozen world is shrinking, making the water cycle more unpredictable. For billions of people, meltwater flows are changing, causing floods, droughts, landslides and sea level rise. Countless communities and ecosystems are at risk of devastation. As we work together to mitigate and adapt to climate change, glacier preservation is a top priority. We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions to slow down glacial retreat. And, we must manage meltwater more sustainably. Saving our glaciers is a survival strategy for people and the planet".

Key facts about glaciers include:

• in 2023, glaciers lost more than 600 gigatons of water, the largest mass loss registered in 50 years;
• about 70% of Earth's freshwater exists as snow or ice;
• nearly two billion people rely on water from glaciers, snowmelt and mountain run-off for drinking, agriculture, and energy production;
• increased glacier melting contributes significantly to global sea-level rise, with today's sea level about 20cm higher than in 1900;
• limiting global warming to 1.5°C could save glaciers in two-thirds of World Heritage sites.

Glaciers are critical to life - their meltwater is essential for drinking water, agriculture, industry, clean energy production, and healthy ecosystems. They provide essential benefits such as climate regulation and protection from natural hazards.

Rapidly melting glaciers are causing uncertainty to water flows, with profound impacts on people and the planet. Global reductions in carbon emissions and local strategies to adapt to shrinking glaciers are essential.

Preserving glaciers is vital for the well-being of individuals and communities worldwide. Through the implementation of sustainable glacier management and monitoring practices, humanity can protect these frozen reservoirs. Implementing sustainable management practices and fostering international scientific co-operation are vital steps in preserving these critical water sources, ensuring long-term prosperity and promoting global peace.

This World Water Day, we must work together to put glacier preservation at the core of our plans to tackle climate change and the global water crisis.

You can be part of the global campaign on "Glacier Preservation". We need everyone - from individuals and families, to companies and governments, to do what they can to reduce global warming and adapt to shrinking glaciers. You can do this by spreading the word with UN-Water material.

This includes reading and sharing the UN World Water Development Report (WWDR), the UN-Water's flagship report on water and sanitation issues. Launched on World Water Day, the report will focus on "Glacier Preservation" and give policy recommendations to decision-makers by offering best practices and in-depth analyses.

The WWDR is published by UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water and its production is co-ordinated by the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme. The 2025 report, and reports from previous years, will be available on World Water Day, here.